Spark-plug.



A. H. WALLACE.

SPARK PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29.1916.

Patented Jan. 2,1917.

W/ T/VESSES A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT oEFrcE.

ARCHIBALD H. WALLACE, 0E NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNoR or oNE-H/AL'E To ERICBBANDQUIST, or ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SPARK-PLUG.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application led April 29, 1916. Serial No. 94,358.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIBALD H AWAL- LACE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, inthe county and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedSpark-Plug, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to spark plugs and particularly to an improvedconstruction and arrangement which has for its principal object theproduction of means whereby the spark gap may be adjusted withoutremoving the plug.

Another object in view is the provision of an improvedarrangementwhereby the side plugs are rotated to any desired extent andmeans are provided exteriorly of the plug for indicating the amount ofrotation and, consequently, the length of the spark gap produced.

A still further object in view is to provide a spark plug arranged withan adjustable positive contact member.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectionthrough a plug embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a view partially inelevation andpartially in section of theplug shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa bottom plan view of the plug shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectionthrough Fig. 1 on line 4-4. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectionthrough a slightly modified form of plug. Fig. 6 is a sectional viewsimilar t0 Fig. 5 but showing a modified form of the invention. Fig. 7is a fragmentary sectional view similar to the lower part of Fig. 6, theadjustable shown in a different position.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by` numerals, 1 indicates the plugcasing which is formed in substantially the usual manner exteriorly soas to be threaded into the cylinder of an explosive engine in the usualmanner. Interiorly the casing 1 is provided with a shoulder 2 whichreceives the shoulder 3 or al rotatable sleeve 4, said sleeve merginginto outer contacts 5 and 6 at the lower end and into threadedupstanding arms 7 and 8 at the upper end. A porcelain receiving sleeve 9is arranged in sleeve 4, said porcelain receiving sleeve parts beingreceiving a porcelain member 10 and a packing thimble 11, saidfpackingthimble being provided with enlargements 12 and 13 (Fig. 4) wherebyopenings 14 and 15 are produced in which the arms 7 and 8 are allowed tomove. A manually operated member 16 surrounds the porcelain member 10,as shown in Fig. 1, the same being provided with journal members 17 and18 projecting into suitable openings in the arms 7 and 8 whereby whenthe member 16 is rotated or partially rotated said arms will move butwithin the limits of the notches or openings 14 and 15 and will turnsleeve 4 and as contacts 5 and 6 are on this sleeve they will be turned,as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 `so as to increase or decrease thespark gap.

A pointer 19 is arranged to move over a scale 20 whereby the position ofthe contacts 5 and 6 may be observed at any time without removing theplug. As shown in Fig. 3, the parts are arranged for giving the longestspark possible but if a spark, for instance, half this length wasdesired members 5 and 6 would be turned by partially rotating member 16.The pointer 19 will move over scale 20 for a certain distance and will,by such movement, indicate the amount of movement of contacts 5 and 6,the scale and pointer being of course properly regulated to correctlyshow the position of the Contact members.

In order 'to positively lock the porcelain sleeve 9 one or more setscrews 21 may be provided, as shown in Fig. 2, said set screws tightlypinching the sleeve so that no independent rotary movement thereof canbe produced unless these set screws are moved. In arranging the setscrews 21 in position countersunk portions are preferably provided inthe sleeve 9 so that no longitudinal movement or rotary movement of saidsleeve may be produced. This is desirable, as the lock nut 22 forces theshoulder 3 of member 4 against the lower end of sleeve 9 when thecontacts 5 and 6 have been properly adjusted. This produces a tightjoint and also allows for theV contacts to be rigidly held againstmovement when in use.

In Fig. 5 will be seen a'slight modified form of the invention in whichthe operating parts are similar to spark plugs heretofore usedexceptthat the porcelain 23 is provided with' a bore 24 for accommodating nut25 so as to rigidly clamp the rod 26 in position, a set screw 27 beingused at the' lthe central contact is adjustable instead of the sidecontacts, as shown in F ig. 1.

In Figs. 6 and 7 will be seen a further modified form of the inventionin which the general arrangement of plug now commonly in use isdisclosed but a pair of extending members 27 and 28 are provided whichare either rigidly secured to the casing l or formed integral therewith,said members extending upwardly and provided with pointers`29 and 30arranged near the pin '31, which pin is rigidly secured to the rod 32 inany suitable manner. rlhe members or arms 27 and 28 are in the samervertical plane as the contact members 33 and 34, and the contact 35,which has two branches as shown in Fig. 7, is rigidly secured to the rod32 and is parallel with the pin 31 so that the condition of the contact35 may be observed by observing the position of the pin 31. Aconical-shaped member 3G is rigidly secured to rod 32 and also a.cup-shaped member 37, the cup-shaped member 37 fitting over the end ofthe porcelain 10 and the conicalshaped member 36 fitting into aconicalshaped recess 38. A plurality of nuts 39 are arranged adjacentthe upper end of rod 32 for receiving an electrical conductor andl alsofor acting as locking means for the washer 40, which washer is pressedby spring 4l, said spring in turn pressing against washer 42. `Washer 42rests on top of the porcelain 10 so that the spring 41 continually actsto hold the parts in the position shown in Fig. 6. However, whenever itis desiredv to clean the contacts 33 and 34 the rod 32 may bepresseddownwardly and turned to the position shown in Fig. 7. `When in thisposition the rod 32 may be moved back and forth and the contacts cleanedby the rubbing of the contact 35. After the contacts have been properlycleaned'the parts are turned so as to be free of contacts 33 and 34 andallowed to assume the position shown in Ifig. 6. The pin 3l is thenadjusted so as to give the proper gap between contacts 33, 34 and 35.The taper of the conical-shaped member 36 is such as to afford a lockfor preventing accidental Iturning of Ilrod 32, said lockingcharacteristic being assisted by the cup-shaped member 37 which actsalso as means for preventing gas from being forced through the porcelain10 along rod 32. The rod 32 may be easily released at any time bypressing downwardly against spring 41 and then may be turned to adjustthe contacts as may be desired. Preferably spring 41 is comparativelystif so as to properly holdthe parts firmly in position.

What I claim is 1. In a spark plug of the character described, astationary contact havin a pair of branches, a movable contact coactingwith said branches, said movable contact merging into a cylinder fittinginto the casing of the plug, arms extending from said cylinder to aposition exteriorly of the outer end of the plug, and means engagingsaid arms for moving the same whereby said movable contacts will beadjusted.

2. In a spark plug of the character described, a casing provided with abore therethrough arranged with a seat intermediate the length, a sleevearranged in the lower part of the bore provided with a iiange resting onsaid seat, a plurality of arms extending upwardly from said liange, saidarms extending beyond the outer end of said casing, said arms beingthreaded, a nut engaging the threaded end of said arms for bringing thearms under tension and thereby locking the arms and parts connectedtherewith against movement, a pair of contacts rigidly connected withsaid sleeve whereby whenever said arms and sleeve are moved saidcontacts will be moved, a fixed contact member, and means for rigidlyholding the lixed contact member in'position and insulating the samefrom the movable contact member. v

3. In a spark plug of the character described, a casing provided with abore therethrough, said bore having a shoulder intermediate its length,a sleeve iitted in the lower part of said bore, a flangemember-extending through said sleeve and resting on said shoulder, anarm extending upwardly from said sleeve to a position beyond the outerend of said casing, means connected'y with said arm for moving the sameand said sleeve, a contact arranged on said sleeve, said contact beingadjusted when said arm is moved, a fixed contact, and means including aninsulating member for holding the ixed contact member in s aid casing'.

4. In a Spark plug of the character described, a casing, a porcelainarranged in said casing, a movable rod extending through said porcelain,a pair of contacts arranged at the lower end of said casing, a contactconnected with the lower end of said rod, a pair of indicating membersextending to a position adjacent the upper/end of said rod, saidindicating members indicating theposition of the contacts on saidcasing, and a pin connected with said rod adjacent said indicatingmembers, said rod being adjustable whereby the spark gap may be variedat will.

miams ing said rod against movement and in proper position so that theContact connected therewith will correctly coact With the contacts onthe casing, and an indicating member on said rod for indicating theposition of the Contact on said rod.

ARCHIBALD H. WALLACE.

